DU colleges told to fix lights, install CCTV, submit safety audits by October 12

The Delhi University has directed its college principals, department heads, hostel wardens, and resident tutors to conduct assessments on women’s safety and security across the university campus and submit reports on identified issues by October 12, 2026 at 5 pm.

The directive comes after an online meeting was conducted by the Proctor of the University of Delhi regarding the safety and security of women across the university-encompassing its expansive campus, individual colleges, faculty areas, departmental spaces, and hostels.

The proctor directed the representatives of the DU colleges to conduct comprehensive assessments of their respective areas, according to the official statement.

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“Their mandate included identifying potential blind spots-locations where visibility is hindered-to ensure that all areas received adequate scrutiny. Immediate action measures were outlined, including the urgent repair of non-functional lighting, the installation of additional streetlights to enhance illumination in poorly lit areas, and the strategic placement of CCTV cameras to improve campus-wide surveillance,” the statement read.

The online meeting was attended by college principals, deans, directors, heads of departments, hostel provosts, wardens and resident tutors.

Notably, the college authorities are also instructed to organise gender sensitisation workshops in conjunction with a 7-day self-defence crash course for students, collaborating with the Delhi Police.

Furthermore, the Women's Safety helpline numbers, 1091 and 112, should be “prominently” displayed and effectively communicated within the college and campus environments, it added.

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The proctor also emphasised that overgrown trees obstructing natural light and posing safety hazards must also be pruned effectively to enhance visibility and mitigate risks.

This initiative aims to facilitate the prompt identification of these concerns and to address them systematically, fostering a safer environment for all members of the university community, it said.

The meeting also included the need to increase police presence. This included proposals for dedicated surveillance teams stationed strategically near colleges and hostels, thereby visibly reinforcing safety measures.

Representatives were also asked to install a sufficient number of pink booths specifically designated for women, along with enhancements to the operations of the Vamika police van, recognised for its rapid-response capabilities.